Dr Elizabeth Pearson presented on Boko Haram’s Abduction of Women at The International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law Expert Meeting on Terrorism-related Sexual Violence

Dr Elizabeth Pearson (Lecturer in Criminology) presented on the topic: ‘Boko Haram, the Islamic State, and the Surge in Female Abductions in South-eastern Niger’. Her presentation occurred on day 2 of the International Institute for Justice Expert Group Meeting on Emerging Trends & Typologies in Terrorism-related Sexual Violence, ‘Addressing the Impunity of Sexual Violence in the Context of Terrorism.’

In the presentation on 29 March 2022, Dr Pearson discussed the significance of a rise in abductions in the Diffa region of Niger for understanding Jihadist competition in the Lake Chad Basin region and northeast Nigeria. She explained that rival factions Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram do not share gendered tactics, and justify attacks in different ways. She noted the importance not just of recognizing differences in the gendered strategies of Jihadist groups, but also of incorporating this understanding into counter-terrorism practices. Without this she argued, it would be difficult to adequately address gender-based violence by local jihadist factions, and protect women.

The Expert Group Meeting was chaired by Gail Malone of the IIJ and included speakers from IMPACT – Center Against Human Trafficking and Sexual Violence in Conflict (the Netherlands), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).